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27/03/2009Dutch news in brief, Friday 27 March 2009

Read the roundup of today's Dutch press from Radio Netherlands.

Wilders walkout: what the papers say
Leader of the right-wing Freedom Party Geert Wilders has grabbed the attention of the Dutch dailies again by storming out of Thursday's parliamentary debate in a huff and taking his entire party with him.

When a government spokesman said the room to make changes to the government's plan to tackle the economic crisis was "extremely limited", Wilders declared: "I'm not only angry ... I'm furious. This is a sham debate ... and we're not going to stand for it."

De Telegraaf agrees with Wilders that "the coalition's decision to smother political debate by dictating its terms to parliament was far from elegant", but criticises the Freedom Party's walkout as "foolish ... voicing your own opinion is always better than walking away."

AD also believes that "parliament allowed itself to be taken hostage by the government coalition" and acknowledges that "the Freedom Party's fury is understandable, but is it actually going to help?" It wonders: "Where is the opposition leader capable of getting parliament to bite as well as bark?"

Wilders' anti-establishment rhetoric has him riding high in the polls. Perhaps the front-page cartoon in NRC Handelsblad best sums up the thrust of his tactics. It has Wilders saying: "I'm just nipping outside to pick up some more parliamentary seats."

Multi-millionaire wanted for bank deceit
De Telegraaf reports on Dutch multi-millionaire Louis Reytenbagh who is wanted for swindling a bank out of a quarter of EUR 1 billion. Louis Reytenbagh and his two sons are being taken to court by Credit Suisse for what the bank calls "deceit on an unprecedented scale".

With estimated assets of 590 million, Reytenbagh is listed 42nd on the Quote 500 list of the wealthiest Dutchmen.

In a report by De Telegraaf, an acquaintance said the millionaire “thinks at lightning speed. He only needs one and a half hours' sleep a night. He often naps at his desk, but when he wakes up he knows every word that's been said in the meantime".


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